I wanna talk about self-care today! 💜
I read a blog post recently talking about how certain things, like getting enough sleep or eating enough food, shouldn’t be considered self-care. The post said that instead, these things should be considered things that we should always do.
Reading this frustrated me because that’s exactly what self-care IS – things that we should always do.
As someone who struggles with mental illness, eating can be hard sometimes. Getting enough sleep can be hard sometimes. Things that seem like no-brainers to some people are things that others have to make a conscious effort to do.
The definition of self-care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.”
So obviously, self-care is not just getting a massage or painting your nails. Self-care includes ANYTHING that you do to keep yourself healthy – both physically and mentally.
I know that it’s 2022 and self-care isn’t a new concept, but reading blog posts like that made me realize that there are STILL so many misconceptions about self-care. So today, I wanted to dive deeper into the topic and the different areas of self-care.
I want to talk about the 5 areas of self-care and examples of how to improve each of them!
1. Physical self-care
Physical self-care is probably the most talked-about of all of the areas of self-care. It’s just what it sounds like: taking care of your physical health and your body. We only get one body and it’s important that we’re taking care of it as best as we can!
Examples of physical self-care:
- Drinking enough water
- Exercising
- Eating (mostly) healthy food
- Taking proper care of your hygiene
- Having good sleeping habits
2. Emotional self-care
Emotional self-care is another important area. This involves several different aspects. It means acknowledging your emotions, allowing yourself to feel them with no judgment, and exploring where they stem from. It also involves deepening your understanding of both your emotions and yourself. Tune into how you’re feeling and face the difficult emotions like fear, stress, anger, hurt, etc.
Examples of emotional self-care:
- Allowing yourself to cry when you need to
- Journaling
- Speaking to a professional about your feelings
- Tracking your mood
- Reciting positive affirmations
3. Intellectual self-care
Intellectual self-care involves anything that stimulates your mind. This includes learning and self-improvement topics. Intellectual self-care is often overlooked but it’s an important part of a balanced life!
Examples of intellectual self-care:
- Setting and working towards goals
- Reading
- Learning a new skill or about a new topic
- Visiting a museum or art gallery
- Doing puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, etc
4. Social self-care
Social self-care is about exactly what it sounds like: your social life. Connections are important and it’s always good to have people you can lean on, whether it’s family or friends, or both.
Examples of social self-care:
- Make friends at work
- Join a group or club
- Reach out to family/friends
- Start a conversation with a neighbor
- Volunteer
5. Spiritual self-care
Spiritual self-care doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with religion – although it can. It involves your values, your core beliefs, and connecting with something beyond yourself.
Examples of spiritual self-care:
- Reading a religious text
- Meditating
- Spending time in nature
- Praying
- Exploring different belief systems
What are your feelings about self-care? Do you need to focus more on any of the areas of self-care? Let’s chat in the comments!
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Such a great post on self-care. You’re so right that self-care comes in every aspect of our lives and we should prioritize it all the time 🙂
You have some great ideas here. Self care is so incredibly important. I know for me I get self care by resting and reading!
thank you for sharing this amazing post. I do agree that self-care come in every part of our lives. great way to find the clarity within you
So many areas of self care to consider, I will have to work on some of these.
These are definitely the most important aspects of self care and i love your tips of how to achieve these goals!
These are really great ideas, self-care is so important.
Beautiful post. I love the light purple colors you chose for your infographic.
I have shared it to my Pinterest also for later reference
I need more social interaction myself. I’m home 75% of the time and it gets lonely especially if my son is with his dad. Thankfully, I do have two dogs and a cat. They do keep me company.
I’m a delivery driver so I get limited social interaction. So that’s mostly when i actually get a chance to talk to someone even if it’s a quick hi. I don’t go out to bars or other places to meet people during my off time. I am an introvert so going up to new people and striking up a conversation is difficult for me.
I would definitely agree with all of these. You definitely need to always work on self care. I certainly need to work on this more myself.
After i give birth I feel more down and exhausted . And it is not healthy at all self love and accepting your flaws is not easy but it can be done.
This is such a great read! Self-care is so important. I love meditation and spending time in nature ❤️
This is such a really great article to read, self care is so important thanks for sharing this recipe wonderful post!
I absolutely agree with all of these! I really enjoy reading this post about self care!
Oh yes! To be happy we need to cure all these areas and it’s not easy at all.
I have been trying to make a conscious effort to do more self care. I like your ideas and will have to add some of these to my routine.
Self-care is very important and something to be prioritized. I make sure to have my ME time.